Full-width washing machines



Feb. 28, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1964 Fig. Z

3,306,085 FULL-WIDTH WASHING MACHENES Hermann Verboom, Kempen, Germany,assignor to Eduard Kuesters, Krefeld, Germany Filed .lune 25, 1954, Ser.No. 378,375 Claims priority, application Germany, June 29, 1963, K50,091 1 Claim. (Cl. 58-181) This invention relates to a `full-widthwashing machine for webs of material, especially webs of fabric, inwhich a web of material is guided through the washing tank with loopsrunning from the top to the bottom and the lbottom to the top thereofand transverse walls are arranged on the bottom of the tank between theloops, the Washing liquid entering the tank on the side on which thematerial passes out and leaves the tank on the side on which thematerial enters.

In the known full-'width washing machines of the type above described,transverse walls are provided the height of which decreases from theside where the liquid enters to the side where it leaves the tank, sothat the liquid flows through the tank in the form of a cascade. As thefabric web impedes the How of liquid in the direction counter to itsdirection of travel, like a valve, the liquid can only How through thetank at the side edges of the fabric web in counterllow thereto, whereasit is dammed up on the fabric web.

According to the invention the overow forming the outlet for the liquidfrom the tank is arranged at a lower height than the upper edges of thetransverse walls and a passage is formed at the bottom of the tank atalternate ends of the transverse Walls.

The result is that, in :forming the passages at the bottom of the tank,the Washing liquid must ow transversely to the fabric web butnevertheless passes through the tank counter to the direction of travelof the fabric web, so that the washing liquid flushes the web in acontinuous stream.

A passage can preferably lbe formed at the alternate ends of thetransverse walls also at the upper edge thereof.

Some washing agents have a foaming elfect, the foam being carrier of thedirt. This foam with the lighter particles of dirt must be guidedupwards along the transverse walls. The invention also renders thispossible.

The heavier particles of dirt sinking to the bottom are led olf throughthe passages at the bottom of the tank.

The invention also allows passages to Ibe formed simultaneously at thebottom of the tank and at the upper edge of the transverse walls, sothat the invention enables all requirements to be met.

In order to form the passages, the ends of the transverse walls wherethe ypassages are to he formed are provided with extensions lwhich arelower than the Walls themselves and shiftable in vertical direction inrelation thereto.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated diagrammatically by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a full-width washing machine in vertical section;

f/f'/ United States Patent O tank. The washing liquid is fed at 4.

3,306,085 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the bottomof the washing tank;

FIG. 3 shows the end of a side wall provided with a sliding extension,the slide being set for passage at the bottom, and

FIG. 4 is a similar view to FIG. 3 with the slide set for passage at thetop.

The washing tank is designated by l. The fabric is guided therein in.loops running from the top to the 1bottom and vfrom the bottom to thetop. For this purpose rollers 3 are provided in the lower portion of theIt ows off over and out at 7. .provided 'between the loop-s on theoverow 5. The web runs in at 6 Transverse walls 8 are the bottom of thetank.

The ends of the transverse walls are formed =by a vertically shiftableslide 12 which is of lesser height than the transverse walls. Byshifting the slides either a bottom passage 9 or a top passage 9 isproduced. When the slide is in its intermediate position passages areformed both at the top and the bottom.

The overllow '5 is Ilocated at a lower level than the upper edge 10 ofthe transverse walls 8.

The resultant flow of washing the `liquid through the tank is indicatedby the arrows 11.

What I claim is:

Full-width washing machine for webs of material cornprising a tank,transverse vertical ,partitions extending partially across the width ofthe tank at the bottom thereof, each partition havin-g its one endabutting one wall of the tank and its other end spaced at apredetermined distance from the opposite Wall of the tank, eachpartition abutting the wall opposite the wall which the adjacentpartition albuts, a vertical slida'ble panel element mounted adjacent tothat end of each transverse partition spaced apart .from the wall of thetank, said panel element of a width equal to the distance between theend of the partition and the Wall of the tank, the height of each panelelement rbeing less than the height of the adjacent transversepartition, means for moving said `panel elements vertically between aposition in which the lower edge of each element is level with the`lower edge of the adjacent transverse partition and a .position inwhich the upper edge of the element is level with the upper edge of saidtransverse partition, means for moving the web to be washed through thetank from the entrance side to an exit side thereof along a pathextending vertically into and out from chambers formed in the tank bythe transverse partitions and slidable panel elements, an inlet forwashing liquid adjacent the exit side of the tank and an outlet for saidWashing liquid adjacent the entrance side of the tank, said outlet beingat a lower level than the upper edge of the transverse partitions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 160,743 3/1875Barker 68-181 X 276,634 5/1883 Ruemelin 68-181 X 702,556 6/1902 Hinzke68-181 X 1,037,280 9/1912 Matter 68-181 X 3,158,880 12/1964 Osban 8-151IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner.

